


Avengers: Requiem

by Apollo416283519



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 09:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20094955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apollo416283519/pseuds/Apollo416283519
Summary: What happened in the five years between "Infinity War" and "Endgame"?  What about the moments we missed between scenes?





	Avengers: Requiem

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: I’ve never written a fanfiction before, but after seeing “Infinity War” my mind went crazy with possibilities, and after seeing “Endgame” I noticed a lot of empty space that could be filled in. So I finally broke down and wrote out my “what if” ideas for fun, to get them out of my head, and I figured I might as well put it online in the event someone else might find it fun too. There’s a lot we still don’t know for sure about what happened to who, but I tried to be as accurate to canon as possible, and to incorporate “Far From Home” and information from interviews with producers, etc as well. (I also threw in the Defenders just for fun, even though it looks like they may be delegitimized in the canon going forward.)  
This is my first fic, and I have no intention to write any more (I focus on my own original stories), but here you go, and I hope you enjoy.

Matt Murdock leapt from one rooftop to the next, moving with expert agility, headed toward whatever was happening across town. He had no idea what he was moving toward, but he could sense a disturbance in the air. A tension. A danger. And that was even before he heard the screams. Whatever was happening, it was bad. It was big. It felt eerily similar to that fateful day 6 years earlier. The day the aliens attacked his city, and he failed to stop them. If this was another invasion, he’d be there this time. He wasn’t about to let them take his planet, or his city.

Danny Rand stood atop the apartment he was sharing with Colleen, straining to see what was happening so far across town. News reports kept throwing the word ‘alien’ around, and he’d heard the stories of what happened years ago, before he came home. He tried phoning Colleen again, but she still wasn’t answering. Danny hadn’t seen her since he and Ward had returned from his fruitless search for Orson Randall, but Danny knew that wherever Colleen was, she was helping people. And he knew she would be heading toward this disturbance, whatever it was, with her sword and her own Iron Fist, and he couldn’t let her beat him there. Danny checked the pistols holstered under his coat, then ran to the rooftop door and down the stairs.

Luke Cage looked out the window of his office atop the Paradise to people panicking and fleeing through the streets. The TV news behind him showed street footage of some strange circular ship hovering above the city, and it looked like there were some figures standing below it. Luke buttoned his coat and promptly turned to leave while dialing his phone, calling for a car to take him across town. Whatever this was, he knew he’d be able to help.

Frank Castle was watching the news with anxiety as he loaded a large M4 with tactical attachments, one of the many guns spread across the table in his workshop. He paused when he saw what appeared to be a slender alien using psychic powers against two men dressed like they were straight out of a circus sideshow who also seemed to be doing impossible things. In another moment a giant beast threw the Iron Man straight through a building before everyone involved appeared to fly away and the cameras lost track of them. Frank hesitated for a brief moment before going back to loading the last of his guns.

Jessica Jones was passed out atop her messy bed, an overturned bottle of whatever booze she’d found in her desk resting on the floor, next to the jeans she’d hastily thrown off when she got home. Jessica stirred when she heard screams outside, then just snorted in her sleep and rolled over.

Matt was only two blocks away when his heightened senses told him the strange ship was rising high into the air. He heard the boosters of what he recognized as Tony Stark’s latest suit as it rocketed away after the ship. Matt came to a stop, straining to catch his breath, both disappointed that he was too late and yet relieved the invasion seemed to be over already. As he took a seat on the edge of the rooftop he heard a man in the street wait a moment for a call to be answered before saying, “Steve? It’s Bruce.”

Danny made his way through the hectic street and caught one last glimpse of the strange ship as it raced toward orbit. He paused to watch a TV in the window of a shop as it played a news report showing Iron Man chasing the ship toward space. Danny had a brief moment to wonder what was happening before Colleen appeared at his shoulder, out of breath, sword in hand, asking, “What the hell’s going on?”

Luke told the driver to turn around and head back to Harlem’s Paradise as he searched his phone for the latest news reports. All he could find were blurry images of two strange beasts wrecking a street while two strangely dressed men waved their hands and flashed some lights as Tony Stark’s Iron Man tried to intervene. “Typical”, Luke thought, “Those people always leave a huge mess.”

Frank set down his last gun as the news reporters were speculating about what happened and why and what it all might mean. Tony Stark was now listed as missing and people were beginning to fear for his safety as he vanished into the sky. Frank grunted as he began to stow his weapons again; he’d been looking forward to killing some aliens.

As the Q-Ship left Earth and Iron Man and Spider-Man made their way aboard, Jessica Jones rolled over in her sleep, off the bed, and crashed to the floor, finally waking up.

#

Over the next day, every news station talked of nothing but the alien invasion in New York. Footage from bystanders played on TV over talking heads speculating wildly about what might be happening, about whether or not Tony Stark was still alive, and then reports began to come in of some strange alien scuffle in Scotland that ended with another one of those ships flying away.

Finally, about a day after the first sighting, word began coming in of a fleet of alien ships being sighted over Wakanda. Few satellites functioned properly over the newly revealed, historically reclusive country, but fear began to spread quickly as rumors spread like fire. It was less than half an hour of panic between the first sightings over Africa and the moment it finally happened. Within moments of an otherworldly surge of energy coming out of Wakanda... people began to vanish.

It didn’t happen all at once. Everywhere people were, they froze on the spot, each watching and waiting in fear. There was no warning, no signal of any kind, as bodies suddenly began to turn to dust. Some screamed. Some cried. Most just watched in horror as they or their loved ones vanished.

Pilots disappeared in flight, leaving planes to crash into cities, seas, and countrysides. Countless drivers vanished from cars, sending them careening like rockets into trees, roadside buildings, other cars, or pedestrians. Friends and family disappeared before one another, some even during the most intimate of moments, which left the survivors stricken with unspeakable terror. Even pets vanished, some along with their owners. The streets of New York were thick with dust as millions of people vanished, among them Matt as he spoke with Foggy and Karen in their office, Danny and Colleen as they watched news reports about chaos in Wakanda, Luke as he oversaw his club, Frank as he walked the streets in case the aliens came back, and Jessica as she and Erik were drinking at Josie’s pub. Parents vanished before the eyes of their children; Cassie Lang watched in horrified disbelief as her mother and stepfather blew away in front of her. She stared in silence for a long moment before she screamed, then frantically grabbed her phone and tried to call her father. There was no answer.

All across the universe, people vanished without a trace, without warning, without explanation. On Xandar, which was still recovering from Thanos’s recent attack, Nova Prime disappeared in the midst of giving orders regarding the cleanup along with many of her workers. Asgardian refugees were rallying on a remote world, where their various escape pods met up, and suddenly half of them were gone, leaving Valkyrie, Korg, and others to watch in helpless terror, just as they had when Thor, Loki, and the Hulk rushed off to intercept Thanos. On the planet Hala, the thriving Kree Empire, which was readying another assault against their renegade Starforce agent who’d begun calling herself Captain Marvel, was stalled in its efforts as half its population inexplicably disintegrated and blew away in the wind. Every planet in every corner of the cosmos, and every life form in existence, was affected by the Snap all at once, and then... silence.

Nobody knew what happened. Beings were just living their lives, and suddenly half of them were gone. Cries rang out across the universe as the survivors panicked, desperately searching for answers. The Kree assumed Xandar was behind it and launched a surprise assault, razing the already devastated world. Captain Marvel vanished and wasn’t there to stop them. Calls for aid and information spread across every planet in every star system, and while rumors were prolific, nobody knew the truth. That is, until, the remaining Avengers held a press conference two days after the event.

“I come to you all today to explain, um... to tell you all the truth of what happened...” Steve Rogers said, choking back tears. Around him stood Natasha, Bruce, and Rhodey, all of whom looked exhausted and beaten, their eyes red from crying, same as those of everyone else in the room. They were at the Avengers compound, surrounded by reporters, all of whom waited anxiously with bated breath to hear what happened. Steve took a deep breath, scratched his beard, and continued. He explained, in as much detail as he could manage, what happened. He talked of Thanos, of the attack on Earth, of their attempted response. Bruce talked about what happened in New York, how Tony Stark vanished along with two other allies, and how they were all presumed dead as well. Steve finished up by explaining what happened in Wakanda, how they all stood against Thanos, their army against his, but when he finally arrived, they were no match for him. He walked over the Avengers like weeds, took what he wanted, and snapped his fingers. Then he was gone. Steve finished up by saying, “I’m sorry, everyone. I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you the way we promised to. We did our best, he was just...too strong. We failed you...” Steve trailed off as tears began to fall from his eyes and a sob caught in his throat. “I’m so sorry.”

Steve stepped away from the podium and Natasha put an arm around his shoulders, leading him out a back door with Bruce in tow. Rhodey stepped up to the podium to say a few final words to the reporters, many of whom were shouting questions in a cacophony of noise. Out in the hall, Natasha put her arms around Steve, finally allowing herself a moment of weakness as tears fell from her eyes too. A moment later Bruce stepped over and they both embraced him as well. The three Avengers took a quiet moment alone in the back hallway, holding each other tightly as they cried.

#

Thor had run off that first night. None of them had any idea where he’d gone, but they knew why. Thor blamed himself for not killing Thanos when he had the chance, which would have stopped all this from ever happening. The others didn’t blame him, though. But they did blame themselves, same as him. Steve, Natasha, and Rhodes couldn’t stop wondering what more they could have done. Bruce in particular was furious at his own failure, and the failure of the Hulk to fight for them when they most needed him. Rocket had laid low in the following days, retreating to a quiet duct within the compound to be alone for some time. Nobody saw him, but they would occasionally hear angry growls or hushed sobs coming through the vents. The four remaining Avengers spent the next couple days alone at their compound, mostly separate and in silence, as they watched news reports coming in from across the world.

The dead were being tallied worldwide. The numbers were staggering. Horrifying. It soon became clear that Thanos had, in fact, wiped out half of all life worldwide. Not just humans, either. Dogs, cats, fish, insects, even plants. All had been decimated in that one single moment. And the world was crumbling because of it.

Suicides soon reached record highs worldwide. Too many people just couldn’t deal with the magnitude of the losses they’d sustained. Some had lost husbands, wives, children, friends. Some had even lost every single person they loved. It was too much to handle, and it was too much to help. The entire world was devastated, and nobody was in a prime position to provide aid for the emotional toll taken by the losses. Therapy was in high demand in the following weeks and months, and self-help groups became hugely popular, but for many it wasn’t enough. Nothing would be. It was difficult enough to provide resources for those displaced by the event, but the psychological toll was irreparable. Half the world had died in an instant, but tens of thousands more followed soon after.

It hadn’t even occurred to Steve or Natasha to consider their status as fugitives until they saw General Thaddeus Ross listed among the vanished. They waited and waited, but no calls for arrest ever came. It seemed they had been forgotten amidst the chaos, or simply nobody cared to come after them anymore.

For weeks nobody knew what to do. The dead were still being tallied, civilizations across the Earth and the entire universe were crumbling, the losses were slowly setting in as people struggled to go on, and all along Steve knew Thanos was still out there. He still had the stones. The creature known as the Mad Titan still held absolute power over the universe, and they had no way to find or stop him. He had been mortally wounded, but Thor had reported seeing the wound heal itself the moment Thanos was pulled through the portal. There was no telling what he might do at any minute. Maybe he’d choose to destroy the other half of life as well? Maybe something far worse that he couldn’t even fathom? Steve and the Avengers were barely hanging on after the incalculable losses so far, and they lived in helpless fear of what might come next, and how powerless they would once again be to stop it.

After a week or so, the pager that had been delivered by a young man named Klein, who had worked at SHIELD a few years ago, which seemed to be sending a signal to deep space, simply switched off. Almost as soon as that happened, the four Avengers were confronted inside the compound by a blonde woman who asked them, “Where’s Fury?” They had no idea who she was nor how she’d gotten inside, and her presence exuded an otherworldly strength. The type they all knew not to mess with.

Carol Danvers had been en route to Earth since the moment she’d gotten Fury’s signal. She stopped what she was doing, without hesitation, and blasted off into space as she’d done a handful of times before. She’d left before she’d seen any of the myriad alien species around her in the city streets begin to dissolve into nothing as the energy of the Infinity Stones rippled across the cosmos. The first time she’d come home, Fury had been there to tell her of the Chitauri invasion led by Loki, which had been stopped within hours of occurring, which was a few days before she’d arrived. He had explained the Avengers to her, and she’d been deeply honored to hear the team was named after her. The two old friends had caught up, one now looking substantially older than the other. Carol had visited Earth a handful of times over the years, mostly to stop in and see Maria and Monica, but every time she’d come by there had been no danger. The next time she got the call and rushed to Earth was when an army of Ultron bots dropped a city at the planet, but Fury had managed to get a message to her in transit, telling her the planet had been saved again. Carol was a little annoyed to keep getting calls for no reason, and Fury had promised he wouldn’t call again unless it really mattered. Still, she was always happy to speak with her friend. And now, she was heartbroken to hear that he was gone.

The Avengers and Carol spoke for a long time, each explaining their side of things. She had elected to stay at the compound and work with the team to see if there was anything they could do—to help people, to bring Thanos to justice, or, somehow, to fix what he’d done. They had no leads for over two weeks until Pepper Potts arrived at the compound in tears, saying she had received a deep space message on a secured priority channel. Tony Stark was still alive.

For another few days they received a cluster of messages, some garbled, others clear. Tony chronicled what had happened to him in space and on Titan, and what he’d been through since. Finally, with Carol’s help, they were able to track the transmissions to deep space. Thor was supposed to arrive soon, but Carol wasted no time in blasting off, flying toward orbit, and rocketing away from Earth to bring the hero home.

#

Tony Stark was barely conscious when Carol found him. He opened the bay doors for her, then stared at her in disbelief as she came aboard the Benatar, muttering something about a glowing golden angel. Nebula had come in to check on Tony and was shocked to see this unknown woman standing on the ship. Carol explained briefly that she was here to help, that she was taking them somewhere safe, and that they only needed to sit back and relax. Tony clutched the blanket around his shoulders as he reached out a shaky, weakened hand and gently touched her shoulder, confirming that she was real and not some hallucination. Tony fell to his knees in that moment and wept. Nebula awkwardly stood over him, unsure how to respond to such an emotional display, and exchanged a confused look with Carol. “Strap him in,” Carol said, turning to leave. “We’ll be moving pretty fast.”

#

Weeks later. Thanos had been hunted down and executed. The Infinity Stones were gone. Thor had disappeared again—this time, the team suspected, for good. Tony was recovering while Nebula and Rocket made the compound their base of operations for some time in order to plan their next move. Carol stuck around for a while before she had to go and help the countless planets out there still reeling from the decimation. While doing so, she spread word far and wide that Thanos was responsible for wiping out half of life, and that he had been found and killed. The danger was gone, but the devastation was still just setting in.

Shortly after she left, Carol sent a message back to Earth. She asked if Nebula and Rocket would be interested in helping her keep some semblance of order in the galaxy and, needing something to keep their minds and bodies busy, they both jumped at the chance. Rhodes volunteered to come as well, seeing as his latest War Machine suit was able to function in space, and he couldn’t just sit by with the others as they dealt with the global losses, or watch as his best friend recovered from both a mortal wound and the crushing trauma of his defeat in space. So Rhodes climbed aboard the Benatar along with the grumpy robotic woman and the talking raccoon and, on the orders of a fellow Air Force officer, blasted off into space.

Thor hadn’t even made the trip back to Earth; he’d just thrust his axe into the air outside Thanos’s cabin and vanished in a beam of rainbow light. The team was worried about him, but when they heard news of strange people appearing on the Norwegian coast they figured it out. Thor had taken the Bifrost to the rally point where the last remaining Asgardians had been in hiding since their ship had been ambushed. He was relieved to find Valkyrie, Korg, and even Meik still alive, but disheartened at how small the Asgardian numbers had become. He apologized for not coming sooner, saying he’d feared he might find them all dead, and that he doubted his abilities to lead them after all that had happened. Still, after a private discussion with Valkyrie wherein he explained everything that had transpired, they agreed to continue with their previous plan. So Thor gathered all the survivors, summoned the Bifrost, and transported them all safely to Earth. Once they were settled, Thor disappeared up the coast with Korg and Meik, and after a quick visit Valkyrie recommended to all the others not to go and bother him. He was disconsolate, blaming himself for every Asgardian death since Hela’s return, the destruction of their homeworld, and now the trillions of deaths across the universe. She used to think she knew failure and loss, and that took her centuries to get past, but after what Thor had been through, Valkyrie knew there was nothing and no one that could help him.

#

Steve and Sharon had been together for over two years. Unfortunately, most of that time Steve had been a fugitive along with Natasha, Sam, and Wanda, so the couple had spent very little time together. They’d had a long goodbye after the prison break from the Raft, but since then they’d had only a handful of encounters, mostly in dark alleys in various cities across Europe when their respective jobs brought them close to each other. Sharon had briefly been put in charge of a group that was sent after the Secret Avengers in Belarus while the super team was hunting a terrorist cell, but the official report she filed said they’d only found the cell’s leader and his top commanders tied up for them in a warehouse, with no sign of Steve and the others. She only left out a few minor details.

Steve hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to Bucky, to Sam, to any of them. He didn’t get to say goodbye to Sharon either. He’d searched for her at first, but after a week he found a colleague who told him that she had turned to dust before their eyes. Steve felt even more alone now. Not only had he failed Peggy so long ago, but now he failed Sharon too. He knew she had an apartment in the city and, rather than stay at the Avengers compound with Nat, he took up residence there. He found old keepsakes Sharon had from her favorite aunt, and he found evidence that she had been a fan of his for most of her life. She’d grown up hearing stories about an impossibly wonderful man from the woman she idolized, and then one day she’d gotten to meet that man. Steve knew it wasn’t healthy to stay in a place like this, so after another couple weeks he found a new apartment down the street. Many places had been left empty and there was room to spare.

Steve tried his best to move on, to find a new life now that the Avengers were done. They’d failed. That was it. He knew there would be other battles to fight, but for the time being the world was quiet. So he started going out at night. News reports each morning spoke of criminals being rounded up, often beaten to a pulp, and deposited at local police stations. They spoke of a strong man in a homemade costume that covered his face, and reports were that he’d often lose his mind and overdo it when subduing criminals. This was his way of coping with his own failures, and with the losses of so many people he cared for. Steve had made it his mission in life to protect the innocent, and to protect the world, and he had failed them all.

#

Natasha had been aimless after they found Thanos. The hope she’d been hanging onto, of finding the stones and fixing everything, was gone. Her remaining family had gone their separate ways, trying to find some semblance of a life in the aftermath. Thanos had won. Half of everyone and everything was gone now. This was real. This was irreversible. This was life now. For good.

Natasha and Bruce had tried dating for a little while. They spent some time together at the compound, trying and failing to reignite the spark they’d both felt in the past. However, their time apart and their differing experiences, along with the weight of the defeat hanging over their heads, prevented it from going anywhere. They’d both lost too much, and neither was coping with it in a healthy way. Finally one day they had a long talk, agreed that they would always be friends, that they would always care for one another, and parted ways with a big hug and a last kiss. She knew Bruce was going off to try something innovative, something that she hoped might help him, but she didn’t ask too many questions. She needed to find her own outlet.

Natasha hadn’t known what to do with herself in the wake of their failures. She’d wandered aimlessly around the now-abandoned Avengers compound for a while before seeing a news report about the countless number of children orphaned by the decimation. Some had lost their only parent, others had lost both, and now volunteers were scrambling to help them however they could. Natasha moved into Manhattan and did everything she could to help. She related to these lost, helpless children on a level that surprised even her, and she devoted her life to them for a while. Eventually, however, it got to be too much. No matter how many she helped there were always more, and the world as a whole was continuing to fall apart. So, rather than try to help the children directly, Natasha decided to leave that job to the people more clinically and emotionally prepared to do it while she turned her attention to the world’s bigger problems.

In order to do what she could to help the world, Natasha re-established communications with Wakanda, specifically with Okoye. She learned that M’Baku had reluctantly taken the throne, and was doing his very best to lead the way he believed T’Challa would have. With the entire royal family turned to dust, the nation had been thrown into chaos, much like the rest of the world, but it was now up and running again and doing everything possible to aid the people of the Earth. Together Natasha and Okoye coordinated rescue and aid efforts worldwide, and eventually got in touch with Carol, along with Nebula, Rocket, and Rhodes. They all kept in contact and monitored the goings-on around the world, though Carol and her team weren’t able to offer much aid as they were doing the same for the rest of the galaxy. Still, it helped Natasha to be doing something to help, to be getting back to some form of the work that had meant so much to her.

#

M’Baku was overwhelmed as the stress of leading Wakanda and trying to help the whole world was getting to him. Okoye reported to him that she had spoken with Natasha and they would be keeping in touch with her as well as with Carol Danvers and her team in space. Still, there was very little help the disparate groups could offer one another. 

“What do you advise, my King?” Okoye asked, a hint of a sob at the back of her throat with the last word. 

“I have told you, commander, I do not like to hear that word,” M’Baku replied in his strong tone. 

“Yes, but T’Challa... he is gone. You are our King now, and I serve the throne of Wakanda. Now, what do you advise?” 

M’Baku took a breath, ran a large hand over his face and down the back of his neck, and spoke. “We continue to provide aid to the northern continent. Next, we look into the calls for help from the Mediterranean. One step at a time, commander. We must not overextend ourselves. Even Wakanda cannot handle the problems of the entire world at once.”

#

Tony recovered slowly, but after a few months he was back to a normal weight and on his feet again. He was quiet, though. Quieter than he’d ever been. And when he did speak he was prone to outbursts not unlike the one he had upon his return to Earth. Still, he was smart enough to recognize he had a problem, and because of his experiences after the attack on New York six years prior, he knew what that problem was. Tony threw himself into his therapy, which took the form of tinkering with even more upgraded suits, but this time he also elected to see a doctor. It was a long, slow road, but Tony began to gradually work through the trauma caused by his utter and crushing defeat on Titan, of seeing the kid turn to ash in his arms, and of being powerless to fix any of it.

A few months after what was being called the Decimation, Tony and Pepper went ahead with the wedding. It was a somber affair, and the guest list was halved, but people tried to enjoy themselves anyway. Rhodes returned from space to attend. Steve, Natasha, and Bruce were there. Wong even showed up, but he lingered at the back of the church and disappeared without a word after the ceremony. Those that came did so to celebrate Tony and Pepper, as well as their pregnancy announcement, but nobody could overlook all the absences. All the friends and loved ones who should have been there. From Thor and Barton, both of whom didn’t want to be found, to all those who’d died fighting for their own lives, as well as those of the people they loved. Those who had fought the unwinnable fight but refused to give up... Not a single attendee left the wedding without crying at some point or another. Most of them broke down during Tony’s speech. The man had a real way with words, and what started out as a thank you to all in attendance quickly turned into a kind of eulogy... and an apology. He blamed himself. All of the Avengers blamed themselves. What should have been a night of celebration turned into one of mourning, but also one of friendship, love, and community.

Afterward, Steve approached Tony, his head nervously hung low, hands in his pockets. Neither really knew what to say, but they both knew what the other wanted. After some verbal fumbling, Steve finally managed to get out the words, “I’m sorry, Tony. For all of it,” and the newlywed clapped looked at his old teammate for a moment, then said, “Not interested. This isn’t the time, Cap. I’ve got a whole new future to figure out, and I’m not interested in looking backward.” Tony walked away, leaving Steve to sigh in defeat, resigning himself to the notion that this just might be the way things are now. Forever.

#

The years passed slowly. Morgan Stark was born, and soon afterward Tony and Pepper moved away from civilization to a house on a lake. Of course it was outfitted with all kinds of defensive technologies, none visible to the naked eye, but it allowed the couple to find a new beginning for themselves and their beloved daughter. Tony Stark disappeared from the public eye, contented to spend his time with his family, while still using his money and science behind the scenes to try and help the world however and wherever it was needed.

The Avengers hadn’t been able to locate Clint Barton in years. He was a ghost for a while, untraceable, until one day they got word of a room full of bodies in a town in Nicaragua. All the dead were drug runners, and most of them were filled with arrows. It was sloppy, angry, emotional work, but Natasha knew instantly who was responsible, and why. As time went on, his techniques became more refined, and he stopped using arrows. She tried to track him for some time, but her work kept her attention split, and she didn’t really want to look too closely at what Barton was doing. Besides, she couldn’t disagree with his methods. So many innocents died, so why did these monsters deserve to live? But even if she wanted to find him, to reach out, to try and help him somehow, he rarely appeared on her radar, and when he did he was always three steps ahead of her. She knew what he’d lost, and she couldn’t fathom that kind of pain, and she knew there was nothing she could offer that would help him.

Cassie Lang grew up alone, but she never lost her heroic spirit. At first she was sent to a shelter with all the other orphaned children, where she made lots of friends. The kids who had no one else all bonded with one another, leaning on each other to help get themselves through the unimaginable losses they’d all suffered. The shelters were flooded, and one night a few years later she and some friends left to make room for kids who needed a new home. Cassie returned to her old house, sitting empty, and welcomed some of her new friends in. She volunteered all over San Francisco to help out those in need, and at night she’d dream of being Ant-Girl, shrinking and growing and fighting crime alongside her dad. She grew up strong, holding tight to the idea that her dad would have tried to help anywhere he could. She was determined to make him proud. She was determined to be a hero like him.

#

Time kept passing, but humanity stopped growing. The losses were too great. Society had begun to course-correct on a broad scale, but most people simply didn’t care to go on with life. They were stuck in that day, in that moment, when their lives turned to ash in the wind. Technological advancements slowed. Businesses crumbled. Families never recovered. People dated less, and the birth rates plummeted and never recovered. Many people stopped going to work at all. Hopelessness covered the Earth like a blanket, and it seemed as if large portions of the planet had simply come to a stop. The sad truth, though, was that Thanos had been right about one thing: even with less industry, there was still plenty to go around. At least for the time being.

#

Carol Danvers left Earth for the last time more than four years after the Snap, launching herself into deep space to regroup with Rocket and Nebula, who were investigating suspicious activity on a remote moon near the Kree/Nova armistice line. She feared that, despite her best efforts, the war was about to erupt again, and the universe had already seen more than enough carnage.

Carol had thrown herself into the work of keeping peace and helping people heal, but splitting her time between Earth, in its remote location at the galactic rim, and the rest of the planets she was helping to oversee, was causing her too much strain, so she left her homeworld in the capable hands of Natasha and her remaining friends. Besides, Earth was too painful for her to visit now that Fury, Maria, Monica... now that so many people she loved were no longer there.

Carol raced out into the far reaches of space, leaving behind a broken, stagnated world, with no idea that, before long, a Tunnel to another dimension would be opened once again.

#

Suddenly, one day more than five years after the Snap, everyone all across the universe came back at once. There was no warning, no preamble of any kind, they just appeared in an instant, as if reforming from dust, in the exact places they’d been.

Most were unaware any time had passed and were therefore incredibly confused. People appeared in schools, offices, streets, forests, pools, game courts, theaters, anywhere and everywhere they had been at the moment they’d vanished. Those who had been in cars, planes, or even spaceships suddenly reappeared safely at their departure locations. Even President Ellis reappeared in the Oval Office along with half his advisers, all of whom were shocked to find a new President sitting in the chair. It was pandemonium, but after a few minutes the survivors began to realize what was happening, and they were overwhelmed with joy. Phone calls were made, people raced home, or to locations they knew their loved ones had been when it happened, and confusing yet joyous reunions occurred all across the Earth and the universe at large.

May Parker looked on at the faces of the family now living in her apartment for a brief moment before screams filled the room and accusations were thrown around. From her perspective, she’d simply blinked and suddenly there were strangers in her home, which had been completely re-furnished. Confused, May raced from her apartment and out into the street, where she heard screams of joy and saw tearful reunions occurring all around, though half the people she saw seemed just as confused as she was.

#

Peter Parker sat up and looked around the red planet of Titan. All the unusual people he’d just met surrounded him, just as they had moments before he’d passed out, but Mr. Stark and the blue woman were gone. Peter had no idea what happened, and as he looked at the other Peter, she one calling himself Star-Lord, they exchanged confused looks. He was about to ask what happened when Dr. Strange spoke.

“There isn’t much time to explain, so I’ll make this quick. Five years have passed. The fight isn’t done. We need to regroup and get back to Earth at once. But first, I need to call some friends.”

Strange stepped aside and waved his hands, creating some odd magical lights, and he began to speak to someone named Wong who Peter couldn’t see. He stepped over to Tall Peter and the odd aliens accompanying him and asked, “What the hell just happened?”

“I...don't know,” Tall Peter replied, looking in confusion at his own hands, then around at the others. “I thought we were—wait, Drax, I saw you, and Mantis too, you vanished, and I felt like I...”

“Me too,” Peter said, looking from his own hands to the confused aliens around him. “I wonder what—“

“Time to go,” Dr. Strange said as he stepped before them and started waving his hands, creating orange sparks. His eyes lingered on Peter for a moment with a hint of sadness. “And get ready. This won’t be pretty.” 

#

In Wakanda, Bucky opened his eyes and quickly got to his feet. Steve was gone. The area looked different. Overgrown. Had he been knocked out? What was going on?

Bucky looked around and saw T’Challa getting to his feet not far away. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a look of confusion, then they turned to see Sam getting to his feet, and Wanda, and even that odd tree creature that had arrived with Thor. The bodies of the fallen were gone, including Vision. Wakandan soldiers made their way from what had been the battlefield into the forest, seeking their king, all equally confused and asking questions, but before long there was a flash of light nearby.

Out of a sparkling orange circle stepped some people dressed in unusual robes, and one of them addressed everyone who was gathered.

“We come on behalf of the Sorcerer Supreme and the Avengers. There will be time to explain later, but for now, the battle continues. We need the help of everyone here, and that includes the full strength of your armies, Your Highness,” the woman said, turning to T’Challa.

“For the Avengers?” T’Challa replied, still trying to gather his bearings, his head swimming. “Without question.”

#

Carol was on another world, speaking with some alien delegates in a government about issues they’d had in recent months with bandits patrolling their orbit, attacking civilian and merchant ships. All at once, nearly two-dozen aliens appeared around them, as if forming from dust. Carol ignited her powers by instinct, readying for an attack, but she noticed how the delegates reacted to the sudden appearances. They were stunned, and then they were overjoyed. Some shook hands, others embraced, and Carol understood. She didn’t know how it was possible, but she knew they had done it. She raced outside and blasted off toward orbit as fast as she possibly could, rocketing through deep space toward her homeworld. As she drew close, an alert sounded on her wrist readout, signaling a strange ship and a lot of alien activity in New York, and she changed her heading. 

#

Countless reports came in of sightings of an enormous alien spaceship in upstate New York. Explosions were reported around the Avengers Facility. Nobody knew what was happening. First the dead returned, and now this. But before a response could be mobilized, it was done. The explosions stopped. The massive ship had crashed, then disintegrated. The smaller ships had disappeared. The unusual beings in the sky, which resembled those that had attacked Manhattan 11 years prior, were gone. Whatever battle had begun was ended. Emergency services raced to the area and initially kept their distance, stunned by what they found.

#

After the battle, Tony’s body was taken away quickly. Rhodes scooped up his best friend and flew away, followed closely by Pepper. Many of the Avengers were confused as to what had happened, as they had been in the midst of fighting when their enemies suddenly turned to dust. Captain America stood atop a pile of rubble that had once been part of the Avengers Facility to announce to everyone across the battlefield that the fight was over. Thanos was dead, as was his army. But so was Tony Stark. Steve said he’d managed to climb to his feet just in time to see Tony, now in possession of all six Infinity Stones, snap his fingers. 

All who had known Tony were stunned. How could this be? He had seemed so unstoppable, and now he was just… gone? But to die like that, saving the lives of those he’d just fought so hard to bring back, as well as countless others…

“Always had to have the last word, Tony,” Steve said, forcing a sad smile.

“To Stark!” Thor shouted, thrusting his axe into the air.

“To Tony!” Steve echoed, mirroring him with Mjolnir.

“To Iron Man!” came the shouts and chants. Hundreds of voices cried out in Tony’s honor all across the battlefield.

Peter Parker sat nearby, face in his hands, tears streaking down the nanotech armor that Tony had made for him. He was startled by a hand on his shoulder and he looked up into the face of the woman who had found him on the battlefield, the one who had been glowing, flying, who had taken out the enormous spaceship all on her own. Without a word she sat next to Peter, hand on his shoulder, and kept the boy company as he cried.

Once the dust had settled, Steve ran to Bucky and the two embraced tightly. Bucky was confused, as only minutes had passed for him, but Steve refused to let go of his brother for a long moment, and when he did so he had tears in his eyes. Sam stumbled over a moment later, asking for more information than the strange wizards had given them, and Steve threw his arms around him as well.

Rocket climbed up on Groot’s shoulder and hugged his friend around the neck while Groot, confused and uncomfortable, gave him a bewildered look.

Barton was in tears when he embraced Wanda so hard she almost lost her balance. She was taken aback, but after a moment she recognized the older, mohawked man and, heartbroken over watching Vision die twice before her eyes, she hugged him back as she cried too.

Stephen Strange approached Bruce—who he wasn’t surprised to see was now the Hulk forevermore—and said simply, “I’m sorry. It was the only way.”

“You knew?” Bruce asked. “How?”

“I looked ahead. It was him, or everyone,” Strange said. “I know you two were close. I hoped you might understand.”

Bruce hung his head. “I do. It’s just… we lost a sister getting here, and now—”

“Natasha,” Strange said. “I know. I wish there was more we could do. Any other options, any other plans, anything at all… he would always win in the end. Always. This was how it had to be.”

Bruce nodded. “I understand. Your master explained it to me a few hours—well, a long time ago now.”

Strange nodded. “I trusted she would.”

Bruce wiped his eyes with his left hand as he looked around the battlefield, filled with people from all across the world—even some from other worlds—tending to the wounded, and even mingling amongst themselves. “What now?”

“We go home,” Strange said. “And we go in peace.”

Over the next couple hours the several hundred warriors, all forever bonded now as Avengers, came together to meet one another, to shake hands, to exchange names. Peter Quill met King T’Challa and was speechless upon learning of Wakanda. Rocket snuck up on Bucky, saying he still wanted that arm, and Bucky just rolled his eyes. Thor introduced Valkyrie around, acting like a proud big brother, until she took over and introduced herself to Strange, to Hope and Scott, to Barton, and officially to Carol and Peter Parker. 

Rocket reunited with the Guardians, and they were mostly confused to see that Gamora had run off after Thanos’s armies had turned to dust. When Quill asked what was wrong with her, Rocket explained. Quill felt sick, angry, and confused. Time travel? Parallel realities? A multiverse? Nebula confirmed everything Rocket said, and added that this Gamora, just like theirs, had good in her, they just had to find her and help her discover that truth. It took Nebula a moment to realize that Quill, Mantis, Drax, and Groot were staring at her in utter confusion before Rocket said, “Oh yeah, she’s one of us now. Like, for real. You guys missed a lot.”

As the conversations wound down and the various groups and armies began to come together again, the sorcerers opened up portals one by one. The Wakandans, Ravagers, Asgardians, and everyone else stepped back through the glowing, sparkling rings and returned home, leaving only a small number of Avengers in the rubble of their old headquarters and, in the case of a view of them, their home.

“Where do we go now?” Steve asked as he looked around at everyone gathered.

Bucky, Sam, Bruce, Wanda, Barton, Thor, Valkyrie, Scott, Hope, Strange, Peter, Carol, and the Guardians all looked around at one another. Some were still trying to make sense of what had happened while the rest couldn’t believe that the friends and family they’d watched die all those years ago were now back with them.

After a moment’s silence, Thor thrust his axe into the air once again and his voice boomed, “We celebrate!”

Steve smiled weakly and nodded, lowering his head sadly. “It’s what Tony would want.”

#

The world was celebrating. Most had no idea what had happened or why, but those they’d lost five years ago had suddenly returned. The dusted were immeasurably confused, however, as the events of the last few years had to be explained to them. Many had come back to find their homes were no longer theirs, friends and siblings were now older than them, and family members had moved on and remarried, had new children, or some had even died. It was a time of high emotions and absolute chaos.

May Parker was fumbling through the streets, confused, with no idea where to go, when suddenly a ring of sparks opened in front of her. Peter shuffled out, his metal suit broken, his face smeared in blood and dirt as tears poured down his cheeks. May was completely startled for a moment, then she rushed forward and took her nephew in her arms. He wept into her shoulder as he muttered, “He’s gone, May. He’s gone.” She looked up, through the ring, to see a man with a goatee wearing blue robes and a red cape standing beside a woman with short blonde hair wearing a red and blue suit, both watching them sadly.

After a moment Peter caught his breath and pulled away. 

“What happened? Who’s gone? Where were you? Who are these people? What’s going on? Are you ok?” May stammered, struggling to choose a question to ask first.

“They said they’ll help us,” Peter said, looking to the man and woman on the other side of the sparkling ring. He wiped his eyes and took another deep breath to calm his sobs. “They’re gonna help us find a place to live. And I’ll explain everything.”

Peter took May’s hand and led her back through the ring, which closed behind them.

#

M’Baku was more than happy to hand the throne back over to T’Challa. He’d seen his king march out the forest and gather the forces of Wakanda, backed by strange wizards, and it had all been too wonderful to believe. His brother, his commander, back from the dead and ready to lead them into battle once again. One they would go on to win. After such a devastating loss five years before, and after struggling for so long to keep Wakanda going, to use its resources to aid the struggling world, of doing his best to turn himself from a soldier into a king, M’Baku was overjoyed to finally, officially be able to return the throne to its rightful ruler. 

In the throne room, as M’Baku stepped aside, inclining his head ever so slightly, T’Challa stepped up to him. “No, brother. You do not bow to me. You kept Wakanda alive. I am forever in your debt.”

T’Challa bowed deeply to M’Baku, as did the other elders who were gathered, the Dora Milaje, the Queen Mother, and even Shuri. M’Baku felt a lump in his throat as pride and love swelled in his heart, and he failed to keep the tears from welling in his eyes.

“Thank you, brother,” M’Baku said roughly, choking back a sob. He cleared his throat before taking the hand T’Challa offered him. “Thank you, my king.”

#

Scott, Hope, Hank, and Janet stepped through a portal to San Francisco, right in front of Cassie’s house, and they were startled to see Maggie and Paxton come rushing out the door ahead of Cassie. Maggie was jabbering about how confused they were and she was asking questions of Hope and Hank, who she’d heard of but never met, and Janet as well, who was a total stranger to her. Paxton hugged Scott so long and so tightly that Scott had to wave Cassie over to pull her stepdad off him. Cassie hugged her dad too and smiled, saying, “I knew if anyone could do it, you could.” Scott’s heart nearly exploded; being his daughter’s hero meant the world to him.

#

The funeral of Tony Stark was a global affair. None had known how he had died or why, but it coincided with the return of the dusted, and many were able to connect the dots. Still, when Tony’s official, public memorial service was held in New York City, it was broadcast to the world. 

Many spoke at the funeral, including Tony’s wife Pepper Potts, his longtime friends Happy Hogan and Colonel James Rhodes, and his fellow Avenger, Steve Rogers. Steve took the opportunity not only to eulogize his brother in arms, and to relay a few anecdotes from their time spent as teammates, but to explain what had happened. He explained, in broad terms, how the team had discovered a means of gathering “alternate” Infinity Stones—which had been used to cause the Decimation in the first place—how Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow had given her life in the process, how Bruce Banner had snapped his fingers and brought everyone back, but how, in gathering the stones, they’d incurred the wrath of Thanos once again. Many didn’t understand how this was possible, since the Avengers had announced his execution years ago, and Steve chose to leave out the part about time travel, thinking it might be too much for people to believe, and that revealing its possibility to the world might be dangerous. Steve finished his story by telling how Tony Stark had died by using the stones to erase Thanos and his armies from the universe forever. Tony Stark died a hero. 

After the symbolic coffin was interred, and the event broadcast worldwide so that the public could mourn and, even more importantly, understand, everyone gradually left and the Avengers regrouped at Tony’s cabin by the lake.

This was a private ceremony. One free of cameras or spectators. One for friends, family, and loved ones. Nobody had to keep any secrets here. The Guardians attended. Peter felt free to leave his mask at home. Even Harley Keener, who Tony had loosely kept in contact with over the years, had received an invite.

Tony’s body was buried privately across the lake, and the Avengers gathered near the dock for one last goodbye. 

Afterward, most left quietly. Nick Fury reunited with Carol, and the old friends embraced as she said how relieved she was to see him; as much as she was eager to get back out there and help other worlds adjust to the reappearances of so many, she wanted to stick around home for a little while. Secretary Ross met Steve Rogers’ eye and gave a subtle nod, signifying in one moment that everything was square, and that Steve and the rest would no longer be pursued. Steve turned to see Peter Parker wiping his eyes, and he clapped the boy on the shoulder, saying Tony would have been proud. Fury spotted Parker across the way and, despite his professional interest in the boy’s capabilities, decided to leave the introductions for another time. He then turned his attention to the elusive Hank Pym, who he’d been curious to speak with for years.

Amidst the friendly mingling, Barton stepped away from T’Challa and Shuri and marched over to Nebula, getting right in her face.

“Did you know?” he hissed through clenched teeth so that only she could hear. “Vormir. The exchange. Did you know?”

Nebula was caught off guard but met his eye strongly. “No,” she said in her gruff whisper. “I knew only that he had taken my sister there, and that he killed her. I did not know why.” Then, in a rare moment of softness, Nebula lowered her head slightly. “I’m sorry.” 

Barton took a deep, shuddering breath, gave Nebula a once over, then turned away.

“The hell was that about?” Quill said flippantly. “What’s his problem?”

Nebula turned around and stormed past Quill, bumping his shoulder hard. “Show some respect,” she growled.

As the day wore on, some of the attendees stayed behind to offer their sympathies, especially to Pepper and Morgan, and when they left they all did so with a new sense of camaraderie. The Avengers were no longer just a team. They were a brotherhood. One that incorporated men and women from around the world, and even from other worlds as well.

#

Later that evening, down by the water, Steve, Hulk, Thor, Rhodes, Wanda, and the Barton family gathered to remember Natasha. Most of them didn’t know much about her past, and she was never one to open up, but they all stood together and told stories about the woman they all loved and admired. Clint told them what happened on Vormir, how she had insisted it be her, how she fought like hell to save his life. His children were in tears as they heard about how Aunt Nat had saved their dad’s life one last time, and how she was the reason they were all back together again. 

Hulk raised a rather large beer stein and declared, “To Nat.”

The others raised their various drinks as well and said in unison, “To Nat.”

Clint stood by the lake, gazing out over the water, choking back tears. Laura stepped up on one side, taking her hand in his, and Wanda, his adoptive daughter for all intents and purposes, stood on his other side, a hand on his shoulder. These women, whom Clint loved more dearly than almost anyone else, kept him company and helped him feel safe as he remembered his sister, and wished more than anything that he could have saved her too.

#

Weeks later, Steve Rogers was suddenly an old man. As far as the world was concerned, he’d gone missing while returning the Infinity Stones to their secure resting places. Hulk and Sam tried to convince Steve to use the Quantum Tunnel to make himself young again—just as they had turned Scott into a baby during the testing phase—but Steve refused. Hulk and Sam protested, but Bucky understood and told them to lay off. Steve was happy. He’d finally had the life he always wanted, and he was content with things as they were. To the world, Captain America was now dead, along with Iron Man, Black Widow, and Vision. But before long, a new Captain America would make himself known. After all that had happened, the Avengers were no longer an official team, but it was known that they still had members out there, watching over the world, waiting to intervene when they were needed.

#

Thor vanished without a trace again, but according to Valkyrie, it was different this time. He was happy, hopeful, and even excited about whatever lay ahead of him. And this time he had friends. He was looking forward to whatever adventures awaited him out in the cosmos, and she was busy trying to get a handle on this ruling thing. There weren’t many Asgardians left, but she was determined to lead them to prosperity in any and every way she could.

#

Celebrations erupted all around the world and lasted for weeks. It took a lot of work to integrate over 3.5 billion people back into society, but for a long time the difficulty and stress were overshadowed by sheer overwhelming joy. The world finally got back up on its feet and, in the process of finding homes and jobs for billions of displaced souls, finally began to move forward again. 

As time wore on, the moment Thanos murdered half the universe became known widely as the Snap, while the Hulk reviving the dead became known as the Blip. It was a name started as a joke online, but it spread quickly, partly because many found it amusing to put such a silly name on such a big event, but also because it seemed childishly upbeat and rolled off the tongue well. To those who had vanished, the event was an oddity rather than a trauma, as if they had simply hopped forward in time. The world they found themselves in was strange and confusing, but for those that had been victims of the Snap, using this term seemed to bond them all in a sort of inside joke. It made the resulting chaos of finding a life in this new world ever so slightly more manageable. Many of the survivors tried their hardest to just put those five traumatic years behind them in the interests of helping their friends and family catch up and figure out how to live in this new world, but it wasn’t easy. There was still a lot of work to be done, but it was now possible for the traumatized billions to heal, and the future was finally bright once again.

#

The Avengers were known far and wide by all intelligent races across not only the galaxy, but the known universe. The actions of Thanos had affected all of creation, and the heroic resolve of this one team had not only undone the most devastating event in all history, but had destroyed those responsible. The sacrifices of Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark were known by all, even if the exact details were a bit fuzzy. Murals to Tony in particular went up not only all across the Earth, but far and wide across the cosmos. Hundreds of world’s and species and millions of lives had been devastated by Thanos, and to these beings Iron Man became the ultimate savior and hero. The Hulk, the once-renowned champion of Sakaar, was celebrated by all as the being who snapped his fingers to revive the untold trillions across all of space. These heroes would never be forgotten by the countless different races dotting the night sky, and their sacrifices would forever be honored. Earth, once known simply as Planet C-53, became legendary as the home of the fabled Avengers, the heroes of the entire cosmos. No matter what may come, they would never, ever be forgotten.

THE END


End file.
